Apple may launch ‘iPad mini’ in early 2012 to fend off Kindle Fire

Apple may be working on a new entry-level tablet scheduled to launch early next year. In a note to investors on Wednesday, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White recounted numerous meetings with technology supply chain companies at a trade show in China this week. White noted a general ominous environment, with the majority of the companies he met with commenting on weakening demand across the industry. “The whole world is shrinking,” one company representative told the analyst. Read on for more.

White’s meetings with Apple suppliers has turned up an interesting note, however. “Our research is pointing to the unveiling of a lower priced iPad in the first few months of 2012 that is aimed at expanding the company’s market potential by tapping into a more price sensitive consumer segment,” the analyst wrote. “Essentially, this ‘iPad mini’ will also fend off the recently announced Amazon (AMZN, $235.48, NR) Kindle Fire that addresses the low-end tablet market with a $199 price tag but could lead to bigger tablet ambitions from the online retailer in the future.”

White continued, noting that the “mini” moniker refers to the tablet’s lower price and not necessarily a smaller screen size. “We believe this lower priced iPad could be priced in the mid-to-high-$200 range,” White said. “We expect this will be followed by a much more powerful, feature rich standard-priced iPad 3 in 2Q12.”

White reiterated a Buy rating on Apple stock with a 12-month price target of $666.

Highly unlikely. I could see them taking the pricing route that was done with the iPhone line. It would be smarter to continue selling the iPad 2 at a reduced price when the iPad 3 comes out – assuming that there is a significant difference in the two devices to mitigate people opting for the cheaper (and likely less profitable) device simply due to price.

Tony

Price target of “666” sounds about right.

Anonymous

Analysts ey… Isn’t it the same one that predicted the iPhone 5 launch in October?

Anonymous

And the craptastic apple rumors begin anew!

motu

Amazon is selling at cost.

Apple is a hardware company and wants to sell stuff for double what it costs them to make, so unless they find a way to make iPads for a bill, this story ain’t happening.

http://www.jphotog.com Hrunga Zmuda

Another Sprint Exclusive? Come one, where are you getting this nonsense? The Kindle Fire in no way competes with the iPad.

Brian dePalma

Brian White is the same douche bag who swore up and down the iPhone 5 was going to be announced last week.

This is getting embarrassing, BGR.

Anonymous

At the bottom of this story there is a “tag” for Ticonderoga Securities. Click it to see all of the other great calls from this analyst reported here at BGR. Not one prediction was accurate, not one!

Anonymous

I wonder who pays these (this) analyst. Just search BGR with this analyst name and laugh at all their predictions. If I ever hired these guys I would look for alternate.

Rumorssuck

Here we go again BGR with another far fetched rumor. This one is almost as plausible as a Sprint only iPhone 5 while everyone else gets the 4s. Stop printing these garbage leads that never, ever pan out.

Anonymous

Steve said All 7″ tablets are DOA. My how things change.

AndroidRULES

iPads are overrated pieces of junk, why would anyone want to even buy an iPad mini, Android has had 7-inch tablets for a while, and steve was just making fun of them a while back…people are blind, much wider selection, many of them come with SD slots and better hardware/specs. The reason Apple never adds SD slots to any of their tablets is because they just want to jack up the prices on the other models. Android tablets do everything I need, iPad is a piece o crap. Just wait, Android will take over the tablet marketshare just as easily as it’s dominating the smartphone market, wait and see…

Anonymous

So what is your reasoning why no Android powered tablet has even so much has made a dent in iPad sales?

AndroidRULES

Reasoning, it’s common sense, Android has taken over smartphone marketshare…naturally in time, they’ll take over the tablet market too. In due time, you apple fanboys will end buying an Android tablet in the future, just wait and see.

Anonymous

No they will not. And you know dam well they will not.

Anonymous

Dear BGR, can you please stop putting out rubbish from these dumb as ass analyst. Look at their track record and some of their past predictions. Some of these so called analyst are now telling their clients that its a better than even chance that the Earth is round. I know you like to print anything and everything apple, but your starting to look just as clueless.

Itsmillertime65

No they won’t! This is just more trash from BGR!

Xander239

This is crap. Poor journalism.

Anonymous

Isn’t this the same peckerhead that said the iPhone 5 was a lock?

http://www.facebook.com/joseph.a.yager Joseph A. Yager

iPad mini = iPhone 5, right?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726905044 Jauhar Khalid

Really, BGR? You’re gonna start with this again? Get a clue.

Eric Bodrero

here we go again. more apple rumors. make it stop.

Anonymous

iPad mini is called ipod touch

http://twitter.com/sirxl SirXL

This plan could work. some people don’t care about bigger tablets like the iPad 2 as its still a luxury to them. So hitting the smaller market could work for Apple

Anonymous

First of all: no they won’t. They never directly respond to competiton, they hardly acknowledge that they’re plating in the same market.

Second: it would be called ipad manor if it actually happened, which it will never

Bryguy

I thought a mini iPad was an iPod!! Yuk Yuk Yuk!!!

Anonymous

Geez… Give it a rest. As if you don’t know Apple by now.
They will not cannibalize their iPad sales. They won’t do such thing. Wishful thinking.

Apple has the corner on the pricing for the components. If they stray and have too many different options, that will not be the case anymore.